Remy was standing off on the grass strip near the parking lot. He was petting a pregnant goat, who rubbed her horns against him.
“Oh, she’s going to have a baby!” she said excitedly.
“Twins,” Ernest, owner of the farm, said, lumbering over to us. “Need any help, ma’am?”
“Ellis and Billy have it,” I said, shooing my little brothers to unpack.
“The baby goats are in the barn. I figured that’s where you’d want to set up. It’s a little warmer in there. Plus it’s decorated. We had a wedding last week. My granddaughter did the flowers, and her friend did the decorations. I think it looks real pretty.” The older man was red from pride.
“I love weddings,” Sadie gushed. “I want to highlight some of the weddings that happen on the farm on the Rural Trust website. That would help bring more people out to these rural areas.”
“It was my granddaughter’s idea; she said I should diversify. Remy gave us some funding to expand the barn and make it more upscale.”
Meg was in the barn with the mayor of Harrogate, Barry Loring. He was also Meghan’s great uncle. Archer had said there was tension between Barry and his great nieces. Archer would know, I supposed; he was engaged to Hazel, Meg’s sister. Whenever I interacted with Barry, however, he seemed jovial. He wasn’t in the best of health and was sitting on a milk crate.
“Parker, my boy,” he boomed when he saw me.
I shook his hand as Sadie directed my little brothers to set up a snack table. “Good to see you, Mayor.”
“Always wonderful to see you young men out here making Harrogate a better place! You’re going to put us on the map. What a great initiative, investing in blue-collar businesses and skills. I have a meeting with the governor about investment in upstate New York. He’s very interested in the steps we’re taking here. I understand your company is looking for some federal government pharmaceutical grants. I’ll be putting in a good word for you. The governor and I were fraternity brothers.”
“I appreciate that,” I said. “Though this isn’t all my idea. I’m just here helping. Sadie’s the brains.”
“And the soul!” he said. “Is that goat-cheese-and-herb pastry I smell?”
“It is,” Sadie called out, bringing one of the trays over. “Made with cheese and butter and herbs from this very farm.”
“I’ll take two!”
“Uncle Barry,” Meg warned, “the doctor said you need to take better care of your health.”
“There’s green in here,” he said, taking a large bite.
Reporters, chefs, and farmers trickled in, along with several of my brothers. Sadie was chatting and laughing with the guests. They hung on her every word, clearly happy to have the curvy blonde’s attention.
I wanted to go over there, wrap my arm around her, and claim her as mine. I didn’t know how she’d feel about that though. I had ignored all of her messages yesterday because I was too worked up from dealing with my father to trust myself with Sadie. I wondered if she was mad at me.
My half brother Mike, Archer’s business partner at Greyson Hotel Group, shook Sadie’s hand, introducing himself. He was friendly and personable and enjoyed talking to people. He and Archer were similar that way, though Mike actually woke up at a reasonable hour. He looked a little too interested in being friendly with Sadie for my taste.
“Parker’s jealous!” Archer said, putting me in a headlock.
“Stop it,” I growled at my older brother. I needed to break up the love fest happening between Mike and Sadie. My half brother was way too charming.
Ida grabbed my arm before I could storm over there. “I hear your foundation is investing in local business.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was thinking that I could have a table at the gala the Rural Trust is hosting. Sadie said that the gala is going to show off all that Harrogate has to offer.”
“I believe Sadie meant that chefs and restaurateurs could serve food that was from the region.” I glared over at Mike. Sadie lightly touched him on the arm.
“I know,” Ida said. She shifted and opened up her large bag, clearly settling in for a long demonstration. “But this will be in theme. You know people back then had sex, too, and there were all sorts of aphrodisiacs. Bettina is part of the historical society. She found a journal from one of her great-great-aunts who we think may have been the town harlot, and it’s filled with these recipes—”
I needed to shake her off. Mike was being way too friendly. “Sure, Ida, you can have a table in the gala.”
She pumped her fist. “I have an outfit picked out and everything.”
I straightened my jacket then strode over to Sadie. Audience be damned; I was staking my claim. Mike couldn’t just breeze into Harrogate and impress Sadie with all his Manhattan suaveness.
